Poultry-trap-nest front.



W. P. MAHNY.

POULTRY TRAP NEST FRONT.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR. a, 1913,

commun PL/Noanwn cu.. wAsMmamN. n. c,

W. F, MAHONY.

POULTRY TRAP MST FRONT.

APPLioATmN FILED MAR` s, 191s,

Fatente Dec. 16, 1913.

?? MM/72u TED STATES PAT-ENT iii-dott POULTRYTRAP-NEST FRONT.

To all whom z' may concern Be it lnown that l, Winnaar l?. MAI-IONY, a eitixen of the United States, residing` at llllasl'iington, in the District ot Columbia, have invented new and use'tul linprovements in itoultry-'l`rap-Nest Fronts, oi. which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to trap nests and more particularly to a novel `rate to be tripped by the fowl entering the nest so that the gate. automatically closes and traps the fowl in the nest.

ein object oit this invention is to provide a gate which when set is partly open so as to lure the fowl into the nest, and which is swung' by the towl as it passes into the nest. The ,agate is provided with a locking' device which is tripped by the opening' oit the and which moves into position when the gate is released to prevent the gate from again openin in either direction.

Simplicity and durability in the strncture, and economy in the production ot the device, are ii'nportant features oi. this invention, it being' designed to produce a device niade wholly from several lengths ot' wire of the same thickness which is peculiarly bent to torni the several parts ot the device.

ln carrying out the above enumerated objects of the invention, the device, broadly. comprises a wire traine. a wire gate hinged in the traine, a wire locking bar loopetl about the traine and the grate and slidable on the rame, and a wire bar-retaining' device at the hinged end of the irate to hold the bar thereat and permit the free swinging of the gate, the gate having connection with the bar-retaining device to trip the device when the gate is opened to a considerable extent and release the bar to move toward the free end et the gate and loch the latter in a closed position.

@ther objects and advantages of this invention will appear 'troni the following' detail description o't one embodiment ot' this invention, and troni the hereina'tter referred to illustration in the accompanying drawing in whichh Figure l is a front elevation et a nest trap showing' the gate of this invention in a set or partially opened position. Fig. :2 is a central vertical section through the ten ward end oil' the nest trap and gate in the position shown in Fig.

Specification of Letters atent.

Application filed March 8, 1913.

l. Fig. 3 is a view l downturned treni the Patented ild, i913. Serial No. 752,883.

similar to Fig. l but showing; the gate wide open. Fig. #t is a vertical section through the trap nest showing in side elevation the grate wide open as in Fig. Fig. 5 is a view siniilar to Fig. l but showing the gate closed and locked. Fig. is a central vertical section through Fig. 5 showing` the irate closed and locked. Fig. is an enlargcd perspective view ot' the device oit this invention, the same being set and ready to receive a fowl. Fig. 8 is a detail enlarged sectional ifragmentari `r view ot the gate in wide open posi tion and showing the locking bar and bar ri'itaininp; device in their corresponding positions. Fig. Si :is a view similar to Fig. 8 but showing1 the f gate swung partly down into closed position and showing' the released locliirel bar removed troni the bar retaining device.

Referring); to the drawings in which like characters designate similar parts throule'hont the several views, A, designates a nest box of any approved type, provided at its forward end with ar opening' over which is secured the impriwed ,agate ot this invention.

lilith particular reference to Figs. l to (S inclusive, the invention comprises a trame B 1ured to the forward end ot the nest box il. by staples Z) or the like. a ,ea te C hline` in the trz'inie tl, a locking bar lf) is mounted on the trame and the gate, and a bar .retaining,- or supporting device E carried at the top ot the gate and engages the bar,

all as hereinatter specically described.

its may best be seen in Fig. 7, the traine B comprises a length of wire bent to provide side bars 7N and upper and lower end bars 7);. The ends ot' the length of wire forming the traine B are joined at any suitable part ot the frame, preferably intermediate of the lower end bar o2. The side liars 1 are provided with outwardly looped lugs 3 which register and project trom the opposite sides oit the trame l. rllhe middle portion of the upper end bar b2 is otl'set downwardly as at bt, and said oitllset part Z1* is bent up upon itsel'l' as shown, to provide a pair ol spaced apart hinged loops 7)".

Hinged in the traine B is a gate C. This gate comprises a single length et wire bentI substantially lil-shape to provide a pair ot spaced apart lingers o and an intermediate cross-bar o1. rlhe cross-bar engages at its opposite ends through the hinged loops b5 of the 't'ranie and the lingers o which are cross-bar o1 against the outer sides of t-he loops b5, extend down toward the bo-ttom of the frame and have their ends when the gate is closed spaced slightly above the lower end bar b2. The middle portion of the cross-bar c1 is offset or bent, as at c2, preferably in the plane of the lingers c, and downwardly there-between for a purpose hereinafter set forth.

The locking bar D comprises a single length of wire engaging across the front of the frame and the gate and having its ends looped backwardly as at Z about the side bars b1 to hold the bar D upon the frame, and at the same time to permit of the free movement of the bar vertically upon the frame. The extremities of this length of wire are curled over upon themselves about the fingers c of the gate to provide eyes d1 through which the fingers freely engage. The lugs b3 of the frame support the loops cl of the locking bar and hold it in its lowermost position whereby to secure the gate from swinging movement in either direction.

The bar retaining or supporting device E is made of a short length of wire having its upper end overturned to provide a loop e engaging about the offset portion 02 of the gate and being provided upon its lower end with an out-turned hook el.

lt will of course be understood that the parts above described may be modied in construction to provide the frame and gate with additional pairs of lingers to accommodate openings of various sizes, and the locking bar and the trip may also be bent in any manner found desirable. The device may also be constructed of other material and the invention is not necessarily limited to a device made from wire, although it is found to be commercially and practically desirable.

In the use of this improved gate the corners of the frame B are fastened to the upper and lower parts of the nest box A, as shown in Fig. l, so that the frame B and the gate C stretch over the opening in the nest box A and form a closure preventing the egress of the fowl when the gate is locked. To set the trap the locking bar D is moved up upon the frame B and gate C and the intermediate portion of the bar D is engaged over the hook e1 of the supporting device E. Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings disclose this position of the parts to advantage and it will be seen that the locking bar is suspended at the upper end of the gate and that the gate is free to swing upon the hinged loops b5. The lower ends of the fingers c are bent inwardly to any desired extent, so as to provide for an opening at the bottom of the gate adapted to lure the fowl into the nest and to indicate that the gate is open. As the fowl passes through the frame B and strikes against the gate C the gate is swung inwardly and up effecting a crank movement of the offset portion c2 of the cross-bar c1 of the gate and binding the fingers o of the gate against the eyes (Z1 of the locking bar whereby the locking bar is forced upwardly upon the frame B toward the plane of the hingedv support of the gate. T his raised position of the gate C is best shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 8 where the bar retaining device is moved inwardly away from the locking bar D, and the locking bar D is elevated to a position above the hook @l so as to release the latter.

The retaining device E now swings inwardly away from the locking bar and when the gate C is released and allowed to drop,

as shown in Fig. 9, the locking bar D moves downwardly in a plane forwardly of the retaining device E, the locking bar falling to the bottom of the frame and resting on the lugs b3. This movement of the locking bar draws the eyes (Z1 down over the fingers c, and when the locking bar strikes the lugs the eyes are so disposed as to hold the gate from swinging in either direction when pressure is exerted against either side of the gate. ln this manner a fowl is locked in the nest box A and cannot escape and at the same time other fowls cannot enter the nest box. The bar retaining device E supports in av suspended position the locking bar and as soon as this trip is released from the bar the bar falls bv gravity to the lower end of the frame and oy its weight draws the fingers c of the gate into the plane of the frame.

1. In combination with a nest box, a frame secured over the open end of the box, a gate hung in the frame, a locking device on the frame, and supporting means connected to the gate and normally engaging the locking device to hold the locking device restricted, said gate being adapted to be swung open by the fowl entering the nest box to release the supporting means from the locking device whereby the locking device may operate to lock the gate closed when the gate swings to closed position.

Q. In a device as specified, a frame, a gate hinged in the frame, a locking bar movable on the frame, and a supporting device carried by the gate and engaging the locking bar, said gate being adapted to be opened whereby to release said supporting device from the locking bar, said locking bar when released being adapted to drop into locked position.

3. In a device as specified, a frame, a locking bar slidable vertically upon the frame, a gate hinged in the upper end o the frame and adapted to hang down within the frame, a hook carried upon the upper end of the gate and adapted to engage said locking bar to hold the same in the upper end of the frame, said locking bar having sliding engagement with the gate, said gate being ac apted to be swung open whereby to release said hook from said bar, said bar being adapted to drop to the lower end of the frame and hold said gate closed.

t. In a device as specilied, a pair of side bars, a gate hinged between the side bars and having depending lingers, a looking' bar looped about said side bars and said fingers and being adapted for vertical sliding movement upon the same, and a retaining device connected to said gate and engaging t-he locking bar to hold the saine at the upper ends of the side bars of the frame whereby said gate is free to swing into open position, said gate being' adapted to be swung into open position to release the retaining device from said locking bar whereby said bar is adapted to fall to the lower ends of the side bars and the fingers to lock the gate.

5. In a trap nest, a gate, side bars ar- 1anged at the sides of the gate, a locking bar slidable upon said side bars and engaging said gate, and retaining means for the side bars to hold the same at the upper hinged end of the gate whereby to admit of the swinging of the gate, said retaining means being adapted to be tripped by the opening of said gate whereby to release said bar to slide down upon said side bars and said gate.

6. A trap nest including a wire traine, a wire gate hinged in the frame, a wire locking bar slidable on said frame and said gate, and a wire retaining device carried on the gate and engaging said bar to hold the same at the upper hinged end of the gate, said retaining' device being oifset from the pivotal axis of the gate whereby upon the swinging ot' the gate said device is released from said bar, said bar when released being adapted to drop toward the lower end ot' the frame and gate to lock said gate from swinging movement.

7. In a trap nest device, a frame, a gate suspended in the frame, a bar slidable vertically on the frame and having sliding connection with the gate whereby to lock the gate closed when the bar is in a lowered position, and means at the upper end of the trame engaging said bar to hold the saine at the top of the frame whereby to free said gate, said gate having'connection with said means whereby to release the bar upon the opening of the gate.

8. In combination with a nest box, a frame secured over the open end of the box, a gate hung in the frame, a locking device for the gate, and means on the gate engaging the locking device to hold the saine normally inactive, said gate being adapted to be swung open on the entrance of a fowl into the nest box whereby to release the locking device to lock the gate closed when released by the fowl.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM F. MAI-IONY. Witnesses:

A. V. CUSHMAN, GERTRUDE M. STUCKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents. Washington, D. C. M -...M 

